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Appraisal & Valuation

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Overview

An appraisal is an opinion of value used for real-estate-related financial transactions. Appraisals are required by a state licensed or certified appraiser for most transactions above $250,000. An appraiser’s report will typically include the type of property inspection, approaches to value required, and any lender-specific requirements.

The National Association of REALTORS® represents approximately 25,000 state-licensed and certified appraisers throughout the country. NAR’s Responsible Valuation Policy states that “persons who perform appraisals of real property shall be licensed or certified by their respective state regulatory agency and the appraisal shall be conducted in accordance with standards established in the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP).”

An appraisal is an important part of the home buying process because it assures the lender the property has adequate collateral to make the loan. NAR closely monitors federal legislative and regulatory issues related to appraisals. NAR has long advocated for an independent appraisal process and enhanced education requirements that allow appraisers to produce the most credible appraisal reports possible.

What is the fundamental issue?

Over the past year, NAR members have identified several valuation issues impacting real estate transactions. Most concerns are related to appraisals, including the increased use of automated or alternative valuation methods, a perceived shortage of appraisers, and the challenge of attracting new appraisers to the business.

I am a real estate professional. What does this mean for my business?

Automated or Alternative Valuation Methods: Many in the housing industury, including NAR, support the role of appraisals and their contribution to the safety and soundness of the mortgage lending industry. However, there is an increased reliance on AVMs for valuation purposes, as evidenced by the decisions of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to allow data driven valuations, rather than traditional in-person appraisals, for certain, lower risk purchase transactions. NAR is supportive of technological advancements that support the housing market, but has some concerns with the use of automated valuations in purchase transactions.

Appraiser Shortages: Appraisers are leaving the profession at the same time that entry of new appraisers is dwindling. Entrepreneurial opportunities for appraisers are disappearing and many are concerned with over-regulation in the field. There are also barriers to entry, such as education requirements, that could be affecting incoming appraiser numbers.

Appraiser Qualifications: It is becoming increasingly difficult to attract new entrants into the appraisal profession. In an effort to bring more qualified trainees into the profession, the Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) revised the Real Property Valuation Criteria to allow for more flexibility in fulfilling the college-level education requirements for appraisers and reducing the number of experience hours in early 2018.

NAR Policy

REALTORS® support and encourage credible, independent valuations of real property because valuations are critical to the health of the overall real estate industry.

A trustworthy valuation of real property ensures the real property value is sufficient to collateralize the mortgage, protects the mortgagor, allows secondary markets to have confidence in the mortgage products and mortgage backed securities, and builds public trust in the real estate profession.

Legislative/Regulatory Status/Outlook

Current Legislative Action

On May 20, 2019, U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) introduced the H.R. 2852 Homebuyers Assistance Act of 2019, legislation that would allow licensed residential appraisers the ability to conduct appraisals on FHA properties. Appraisers would be required to obtain specific educational requirements in order to perform the FHA appraisals. The bill passed the House of Representatives on September 10, 2019. NAR supported this bill.

On June 5, 2019, U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) introduced the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Appraiser Eligibility Expansion Act (S. 1722), legislation that would give licensed residential appraisers the ability to conduct appraisals on FHA properties. The bill would increase the pool of appraisers who are eligible to conduct appraisals on FHA properties, but would not place additional education, training, or competency requirements on any appraiser that is currently conducting FHA appraisals, nor would it place additional requirements on appraisers not wishing to conduct FHA appraisals. NAR supported this bill.

Past Legislative Action

On November 16, 2016, the House Financial Services Committee, Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, held a hearing entitled: “Modernizing Appraisals: A Regulatory Review and the Future of the Industry.” The hearing focused on concern over a shortage of appraisers working in the field, improving the ability to appeal an appraisal while maintaining safety and soundness, concerns with over-regulation as a result of Dodd-Frank, and the regulatory oversight framework of the appraisal industry. NAR submitted a statement for the record.

On April 4, 2017, Michelle Bradley, the 2016 NAR Real Property Valuation Committee Chair, testified before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs – Economic Opportunity Subcommittee at a hearing entitled “Assessing VA Approved Appraisers And How To Improve The Program For The 21st Century.” The hearing focused on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan Guaranty Program and concerns with long wait times to schedule a VA appraisal and a potential shortage of appraisers, especially in very rural areas.

Current Regulatory Activities

On July 18, 2019, The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Board issued a final rule increasing the threshold below which appraisals are not required for commercial real estate transactions from $250,000 to $1,000,000. The rule also incorporated into the regulations Section 103 of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act of 2018. This will exempt from appraisal requirements certain federally related, rural real-estate transactions valued below $400,000 if no state-certified or state-licensed appraiser is available.

On September 27, 2019, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (collectively “the Agencies”) adopted a final rule increasing the threshold for requiring an appraisal in residential real estate transactions from $250,000 to $400,000. Federally related transactions under $400,000 will require an evaluation, rather an a full appraisal, to determine value of the real estate in question. A federally related transaction is a non-Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac transaction and a non-federal financed transaction, such as loans under the Federal Housing Administration, the Rural Housing Service or the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Past Regulatory Activities

As of August 18, 2017, Fannie Mae allows lenders to receive a Property Inspection Waiver (PIW) on certain one-unit principal residence and second home purchase transactions with loan to value ratios up to 80%, rather than a tradition in-person appraisal. Home value is determined through Fannie Mae's data based valuation methods. Fannie Mae will require that the property in question have a prior appraisal in electronic format that has been analyzed by Fannie Mae's Collateral Underwriter®.

As of September 1, 2017, Freddie Mac will utilize their automated collateral evaluation (ACE) to determine home value for certain purchase transactions, rather than a traditional in-person appraisal. Freddie Mac uses data from multiple listing services and public records as well as their own data of historical home values to determine collateral risks. Homes must have an 80% or lower loan to value, be a one unit single-family residence, and the borrower’s primary residence. Prior appraisals on the property are not required.

On February 1, 2018, the Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) adopted changes to the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria at a public AQB meeting in Washington, DC. The changes include flexibility in education requirements, with the Licensed Residential certification no longer requiring a Bachelor's degree. The Certified Residential certification education requirements may be fulfilled through a Bachelor's degree in any field or an Associate's Degree and/or 30 credit hours completion in relevant subjects. Licensed Residential appraisers wishing to become Certified Residential appraisers may substitute five years of work experience for the education requirements. In addition, experience hours for all levels of appraiser credentials have been reduced.

On April 2, 2018, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (collectively the Federal Banking Agencies) agreed with prior comments sent by NAR and issued a final rule increasing the appraisal threshold for commercial real estate Federally Related Transactions from $250,000 to $500,000. Commercial transactions that do not meet the new $500,000 threshold must still obtain an evaluation of the real property that is consistent with safe and sound banking practices.

On May 22, 2018, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, at the direction of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, announced a multi-year initiative that will explore options and make recommendations regarding changes to the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) and uniform appraisal reporting forms. As part of a greater appraisal process modernization, both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will be looking at ways to support emerging technologies and data updates over the next few years. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are working closely with NAR and other stakeholders in this process, including holding engagement sessions with REALTORS® and NAR staff.

Appraiser Independence

NAR's Appraiser Independence page provides NAR's position on appraiser independence, background on the issues, and resources for communicating with appraisers.

Appraisers are sometimes asked by lenders and AMCs to include distressed transactions as comparable sales, to complete the appraisal in unreasonable and unrealistic time spans, and comply with a scope of work not justified by the fee being offered. NAR believes this interferes with appraiser independence, causing harm to the real estate recovery, and harm to consumers.2

In February 2012, NAR released its Responsible Valuation Policy, which supports and encourages credible, independent valuations of Real Property.

Appraiser/Agent Communication

Residential Appraisal Process: FAQs for Agents was developed by NAR’s Real Property Valuation Committee for agents who are interested in educating prospective homebuyers about appraisals. NAR has found that confusion persists about appraisal regulations, especially those that affect how real estate agents and their clients communicate with appraisers. Frequently asked questions include “Can I speak to the appraiser?” and “What kind of information should I provide to the appraiser?”

Charlie Lee, from NAR Legal Affairs gave us a Window to the Law: Working with Appraisers video in Dec. 2018, in which he discussed the regulatory background of appraiser independence rules, the different roles of appraisers and real estate agents, and then covered some best practices.

NAR supports the regulation of AMCs through the Financial Institutions Reform and Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA), with state implementation and enforcement. NAR opposes the use of indemnification clauses by AMCs and will pursue legislative and regulatory efforts to require AMCs to retain competent and qualified appraisers.

NAR supports a more standard process to request a reconsideration of value if the original value opinion is not credible. Better communication could help a real estate broker or salesperson understand whether an appraisal is credible. Also, any AMC that is violating USPAP should be reported to the appropriate authority. Good AMCs should want the bad ones out of business.

1 The Appraisal Foundation, A Guide to Understanding a Residential Appraisal (Washington, DC), 3, www.appraisalfoundation.org2 NAR Statement on Appraiser Independence, April 20113 Data on appraisal issues are from a monthly survey for the REALTORS® Confidence Index, posted at www.nar.realtor